Past Events
Highlander Member Curling in Nationals!
Samuel Goodine, who plays with the X-Men team on Monday and Wednesday nights, is competing in the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Fort McMurray, AB, from March 22nd - 31st with Team New Brunswick. He says: “this has been my goal for years now, and it's truly a dream to achieve it”.
Follow the games here: 
https://www.curling.ca/2024under21/
The Highlander Curling Club is cheering you on, Samuel! 
SSNS Regional Playdowns Hosted by Dr.J.H. Gillis Regional High at Highlander Curling Club
On Saturday, February 17th, four teams attended the School Sport Nova Scotia Northumberland Regional Playdowns for High School Mixed Curling. The overall winners were Baddeck Academy. Dr. John Hugh Gillis were the winners of the Northumberland Region Banner. Guysborough Academy, Baddeck Academy and Dr. John Hugh Gillis all qualify for the Provincial Highschool Curling Bonspiel to be held in March.
Many thanks to Brian Nicholson for his many hours of planning for this event. It was a wonderful experience for curlers, coaches, parents and spectators!
2022-2023 Season Comes to an End
And....that's a wrap!
With last night's games, the Highlander Curling Club wraps up the 2022-2023 season! We were all so happy to finally get a full season of curling in and to see so many new faces joining our club! Many many thanks to all of the countless volunteers who give their time to make our club such a wonderful community. We hope everyone has a wonderful summer and we can't wait to see you on the ice again next year!
Check out all of our season winners below! Click on the picture for more details. Congratulations to all who were award winners this year
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Nova Scotia Grandmasters Provincial Champions from the Highlander Curling Club:
(LtoR): Cathy MacDonald (lead), Iris Stanley (second), Joyce vanBerkel (mate) and Leona Williams (skip)
Way to go Ladies!!!
FREE Train the Trainor Session with Turning Point Curling from 9am-1pm on Saturday, October 22nd, 2022
Details:
Off-Ice & On-Ice Skills and Drills
Designed for Adult Learn to Curl and Junior Program instructors, parent volunteeers, teachers and coaches who need a little help with the details. Delivered by experienced NCCP certified Turning Point coaches.
Off-Ice Topics:
• Game Rules and Etiquette
• Introduction to the Game
• Introduction to the Field of Play
On-Ice Topics:
Demonstrations and Drills for
• Setup
• Balance
• Delivery
• Line of Delivery
• Grips, Turns & Releases
• Sweeping
To Register: Email: Julieanne Mattie at mattiejulieanne@gmail.com and cc:Harry Daeman at harry.daemen@ns.sympatico.ca
Change of Date:
Beginner Clinic - Now on October 22nd, 2022
The Highlander Curling Club is hosting a two hour beginner curling clinic for new curlers (curlers with no experience or those who started last season) on the afternoon of Oct 22, 2022 from 1:00-3:00 pm.
To register, please click on the link below:
Beginner Clinic Registration Link
Curling Registration
Curling Season is just around the corner!! Registration this year will be online via Sport Hub!
We encourage you to set up your account (adding additional profile information, accepting participation waivers, etc.) so that when we open registration for this season in September you will be all set to sign up quickly and easily! You will also be able to register yourself and other members of your family for other activities with other organizations, all in one place!
You will find a “how-to” document attached here that will help walk you through the process: https://mysporthub.ca/.../HowToRegister_NewMembers...
A video showing the process can be found here: https://youtu.be/tCcFD9gJIII
If you have any trouble at all or any questions when setting up your account, email admin@mysporthub.ca for support.
Funding Announcement!
Highlander Curling Club is pleased to announce that it has received $185,000 from partnership of all three levels of government under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) program for green initiatives at the Club. The initiatives include: an LED Lighting Upgrade, a Heat Pump Upgrade, Attic Insulation and Solar PV Installation.
Highlander Curling Club is extremely thankful for the funding and is excited to implement these measures to make our space more energy efficient!!
Curling Season is just around the corner!! Registration this year will be online via Sport Hub!
We encourage you to set up your account (adding additional profile information, accepting participation waivers, etc.) so that when we open registration for this season in September, you will be all set to sign up quickly and easily! You will also be able to register yourself and other members of your family for other activities with other organizations, all in one place!
You will find a “how-to” document attached here that will help walk you through the process: https://mysporthub.ca/Content/Upload/Documents/HowToRegister_NewMembers_Aug2021.pdf
A video showing the process can be found here: https://youtu.be/tCcFD9gJIII
If you have any trouble at all or any questions when setting up your account, email admin@mysporthub.ca for support.
Congratulations to Bronze Medallists: Team Nova Scotia 65+ Mixed Team
Congratulations to Team Nova Scotia having won the Bronze Medal in the 65+ Division at the Canada 55+ Games last week defeating BC. Left to right : Audrey Dorey, Jack Machielsen and Leona Williams (Highlander Curling Club), Tony Stirling.
Good Luck to Highlander Representatives Attending the Canada 55+ Games - August 23rd-26th, 2022
Best of Luck to two teams with Highlander Curling Club representatives as they head to Kamloops, BC to compete in the Canada 55+ Games from August 23rd - 26th, 2022!!
Highlander will be cheering you on!! Check out news from the games at their website: https://www.kamloops55games.com/
Women's Team (R-L): Skip - Linda Juurlink; Mate - Iris Stanley; Second - Joyce VanBerkel; Lead - Liz MacEachern
Mixed Team (L-R): Skip- Tony Stirling; Lead- Audrey Dorey; Mate- Leona Williams; Second- Jack Machielsen.
Year End Winners 2022
As the curling season draws to a conclusion, leagues are handing out their hardware! Check out all the winners in the photos below. Congratulations to all the winners and we look forward to seeing everyone out on the ice in 2022-2023!!!
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Highlander Curling Club Volunteer Highlight: Linda Juurlink
Highlander Curling Club is a volunteer-run club and is lucky to have many dedicated members. One of these members is Linda Juurlink. For 20+ years, Linda has been offering curling instruction to new curlers and members alike through a multi-week Learn to Curl program and through her Friday morning skills sessions. Linda graciously volunteers to organize the cleaning of the club facilities on Friday mornings and in return for those who help her, she offers free skills sessions and ice time for new and returning members. The Highlander Curling Club is grateful for all of its volunteers and wants to especially recognize the contributions of Linda! Thank you for all that you do Linda; your dedication to our club does not go unnoticed!!
Highlander Curling Club Mourns Past President Gordon Morrison
Members of the Highlander Curling Club were saddened to learn of the passing of Past President Gordon Morrison. Gordon graciously gave of his time to serve on the Board of Directors in 2009-2010 as a Board Member, from 2010 - 2012 as Vice President and from 2012 - 2015 as President. He will be sadly missed around the rink. Condolences are extended to his family and friends. Gordon's obituary can be found at the following link: https://www.clcurry.com/obituaries/158855
The Highlander Curling Club is grateful to receive a donation from the Municipality of the Co. of Antigonish as part of the Covid Re-start program. Pictured is Club President Lorne Deering and Club Treasurer Clarita Campbell accepting the cheque from Warden Owen McCarron. The Highlander expresses its sincere appreciation to the Municipality of Antigonish for their support.
Highlander Curling Club Members Roy and Roselle Lawlor created this awesome Santa scene of Santa curling against Team Gushue! Check out our Facebook Page to see the link to the shout-out they received from Team Gushue on their page! Way to go Roy and Roselle!!!
Are you school-aged and interested in Junior Curling? It's not too late to sign up! Check out the League Info page for more information!
2021 Provincial Mixed Championship
Congratulations to Team Burgess of Truro CC who won the 2021 Provincial Mixed hosted this past weekend at the Highlander!
Pictured Left to Right: Craig Burgess, Colleen Pinkney, Todd Burgess, & Shelley MacNutt
Interested in Curling regularly this year??
Check out our "League Info" page and get in touch with the contact person of the league you are interested in! They will give you all the details for registration :)
Also check out our "COVID-19 Protocol Documents" page to get details on vaccine requirements and more!
Thank You to Outgoing Junior Coordinator - Brian Nicholson
The Highlander Curling Club Board of Directors would like to thank Brian Nicholson for his many years of volunteering as the Highlander Junior Program Coordinator. Brian is stepping away after 5 years in which he has successfully built up the program by providing skillful instruction with a high level of enjoyment and always sharing his enthusiasm for the game with our young members.
THANK YOU BRIAN!!!
Myste Anderson will be taking over that role and we are quite confident that she will do an outstanding job!
2021 League Championship Trophies
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Highlander Curling Club Dehumidifier Repair
The Highlander Curling Club expresses its sincere thanks to the Municipality of the County of Antigonish for their funding support through their Community Partnership Capital Grant. With the help of this grant, the Highlander Curling Club was able ensure a critical repair of their aging dehumidifier. The repair has decreased the humidity within the ice shed and has reduced the risk of falls from ice freezing on the side boards. Pictured below are Past President Len MacDonald, President Lorne Deering, Board Member Harry Daemen and Warden Owen McCarron who were all instrumental in making this project happen. Many thanks to all involved in this successful project!!
*NEW* Highlander Curling Club Sign
Big thank you to Roy Lawlor & Len MacDonald for organizing and installing our new welcome sign at the Highlander Curling Club.
It sure looks great out there with our new garbage bin and platform that was installed as part of the Aug 29th St Andrews Trails Association Community Clean-up sponsored by The Great Outdoors Fund & Unsmoke Canada. Big thanks to Harry Daeman who was a huge part of this effort!
Great News: Highlander Curling Club Opening
Interested in Curling this winter? Looking for something to do to get out of the house? Why not try Curling?
Highlander Curling Club will be opening this fall while following COVID-19 Health Protocols as determined by the Province of Nova Scotia. Click here to see the Highlander Curling Club Return to Play Documents.
Opening Date: Monday, October 26th, 2020
Leagues Available: Men's, Women's, Mixed, Mixed Open, Seniors and Juniors
Check out our League Info page for contact information for League Reps or send us an email or Facebook message for more info.
Highlander Curling Club Mourns Loss of Founding Member
The Highlander Curling Club lost a founding member with the death of John Juurlink on August 7, 2020. John was involved with the Club from day one, volunteering at every level from the ground up. He was very knowledgeable about the plant and how things worked. He was often called upon when things were broken, and he spent countless hours at the Club fixing and maintaining its inner workings. John was the "go to" guy. He served as a board member and Club president and he could be found tending the bar from time to time. John loved the sport of curling and he will be missed.
On behalf of the Highlander Curling Club membership, the Board of Directors would like to extend our sincerest condolences to John's wife Linda, who is also an integral member and volunteer in our club, as well as his family.
Highlander Curling Club Closing Early
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
In response to ongoing concerns with the spread of COVID-19, and in keeping with other sport organizations, Highlander Curling Club will be cancelling all further events, including leagues games for the remainder of the season: effective Saturday, March 14th at 12 midnight.
The Board of Directors would like to extend its thanks to all the hard working volunteers that make our club a reality. It’s unfortunate to end our season in this way, but the safety of our members is paramount.
Stay safe everyone!
Highlander Curling Club Junior Bonspiel 2019
On December 14, the Highlander Curling Club hosted a Junior Bonspiel. Six teams participated and each team played three six end games. Two teams were from Bluenose Curling Club in New Glasgow , one was from Chedabucto Curling Club in Boylston and three were from our home club.
In the first draw, Team Page (Bluenose) defeated Team Thibodeau (Highlander) 11-7. Two teams from Highlander clashed with Team Lazzuri beating Team Smith 8-5. Team Higdon (Bluenose) edged Team Grady(Chedabucto) 6-5 on the last shot of the game.
During the second draw, Team Smith and Page played to a 9-9 draw. Team Grady beat the Lazzuri Rink 11-2 and Team Higdon beat Team Thibodeau 11-3.
The last draw of the afternoon saw Team Smith fall to Team Higdon 5-8, with an exceptional shot by Skip Jack Higdon taking out two rocks with the hammer to score three in the final end. Team Grady got a win over Team Page 14-3 and Team Lazzuri bested Team Thibodeau 8-3.
The shot of the Spiel was made by Skip Ryker Thibodeau who executed a perfect draw to the pin by coming around three center line guards to out count the opposition stone covering the back part of the button. Thayden Power won the most sportsmanlike.
Thanks to Jim Marlow and Wayne Richard for doing the ice before the event and also to Wayne, John Cameron and Chris Higdon who helped do the ice in the afternoon. Daan Verkoeijen and Clare Lazzuri operated the kitchen and kept the curlers fed at lunch and snack time. Thanks as well to all the Highlander Curling Parents who brought food and snacks.
It was a great day of curling. Some amazing shots were made by many of the curlers. The level of sportsmanship was exceptional and everyone would have been proud of how all the curlers handled themselves out on the ice.
Lastly, thanks to everyone, family, friends and curling fans who came to watch and cheer on the curlers. It was a great day of junior curling that we hope to repeat in the near future and our club and at other Junior Bonspiels in Northeastern Nova Scotia!
Nova Scotia 55+ Games Legacy Gift
Many thanks to the Nova Scotia 55+ Games Committee for donating a Legacy Gift of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to the Highlander Curling Club!
Pictured L to R are; Tricia Cameron, Len MacDonald, Diane Roberts, Lorne Deering and Shirlyn Donovan.
CANAM Tour
The CANAM tour was a huge success at the Highlander Curling Club. Three teams from the USA competed against three teams from the Highlander. Below is a photo of the whole group. Congratualations to all involved! Check out the USA teams’ tour at their Facebook page or CANAM Tour Log
Highlander Curling Club Hosts 55+ Games
The 55+ games curling committee would like to thank all the volunteers who helped make last weekend's tournament a success. There has been lots of praise directed toward the Highlander club for their hospitality, good food and great ice and none of that would be possible without our volunteers. Thanks again
Check out the beautiful new sign at the back of the rink!!
The new sign is the brainchild of club member Roy Lawlor (on right) who contacted club member Rob Thompson (on left) over the summer to initiate the project. Rob, who works at Steelmac (https://steelmac.net/), collaborated with Roy to finalize the design of the sign, which was cut on their new plasma table.
A special thanks to the Owner of Steelmac Aaron MacDonald, who donated the components and construction costs of the sign.
Sunday Night Mixed Winners 2018-2019
On Sunday, March 31st, the Sunday Night Mixed League wrapped up their season play with awards presentations for both the First and Second half of the season. Pictured below are the winners in each Division. Special thanks to organizers Cathy MacDonald and Joyce vanBerkel, along with ice-maker Wayne Richards!
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Highlander Junior Program Wraps Up 2018-2019 Season
On March 30, fifteen curlers from our Junior Program attended the New Glasgow Junior Bonspiel at the Bluenose Curling Club. We had two teams in U13 and two at the U19 level.
Our curlers were:
(U13) Team Thibodeau (Sam Lazzuri, Colin MacNeil, Brody MacNeil and Ryker Thibodeau)
(U13) Team Verkoeijen (Rowan Stewart, Thayden Power, Simon Nicholson, Sanne Verkoeijen)
(U19) Team Nicholson (Tessa Pelrine, Joe Lazzuri, David Nicholson)
(U19) Team Halloran (Brooklyn Jordan, Nathaniel Smith, Ryan Sangster, Aidan Halloran)
Team Halloran placed 2nd overall and Team Verkoeijen was 3rd. Most importantly, our curlers had lots of fun playing other teams from the Bluenose and New Caledonia Curling Clubs.
We look forward to hosting and playing more games against these clubs in the 2019-2020 season!
As our regular season winds down I should relate that we had a very successful year-- we had 35 curlers in our Junior Program, split between U13 and U19 ages. Each week we worked on skills and gameplay all the while having fun and learning about curling. The success of the program rests squarely with my assistants, who each week helped deliver the program to the curlers. Nathaniel Smith, Victoria Rankin and Evan Perry were amazing to work with and I know the kids loved interacting with them.
Thanks goes out as well to the Curling Club Board of Directors who have continued to support this program. Junior Curling is bringing in lots of new young people to the sport of curling, all of whom I hope will continue to play curling in the years to come.
Brian Nicholson
Mad For Plaid 2019
Congrats to the winning 2019 Mad for Plaid team - Cathy MacDonald, Roselle Lawlor, Margie Vande Weil and Ginny Webb. Second place was the team skipped by Jo-Anne Doiron and third place was the team skipped by Jackie MacDonald.
A huge thank-you goes out to Colleen MacDougall for organizing this successful women's bonspiel each year!
Photo (L-R): Ginny Webb, Roselle Lawlor, Cathy MacDonald and Margie Vande Weil
2018-2019 First Half Results
The first half of the curling season is over already and many league teams are changing and preparing for the second half. Pictured below are winners from the first half. Best of luck in 2019!
Highlander Curling Club Junior Bonspiel
On December 15, the Highlander Curling Club held a Junior Bonspiel with Teams in attendance from the Bluenose, Highlander and Chedabucto Curling Club. Lots of friends and family were on hand to cheer our youngest curlers on as they played their games.
Each game was 5 ends long and full of excitement and great shot making. The overall winners of the Tournament were from the Bluenose Curling Club. Team members from the New Glasgow based rink included: Jack Higdon, Conrad Roberston, Joe O'Neil, Cullen Park and Ben Hingley.
Congratulations to all the participants. It was a great learning experience for our teams and lots of fun was had. A big thank you goes out to Jim Marlow and Wayne Richard for having the ice in tip-top shape. Also thanks to the parents of our curlers who brought food, got the kitchen ready and helped clean up afterwards. Couldn't have had as good a bonspiel without you!
Brian Nicholson
Junior Program Coordinator
2018 Scotties Qualifier - December 6th-9th
The Highlander Curling Club was pleased to host the 2018 Nova Scotia Women's Qualifier from December 6th-9th. Teams from all across Nova Scotia attended to earn a birth in the Nova Scotia Playdowns. Six teams advanced from this event to round out the eight team pool.
HUGE THANK YOU to all of those who helped make this event so wonderful! We received nothing but praise from participants and visitors! Job well done!!
Friday, October 19th: U11 Clinic
On Friday October 19th Donelda Mattie ran a Refresher Clinic for our Under 11 Returning Curlers. This was a great chance for those younger curlers to get the rust off the rocks and brooms before the regular program begins. See images from this event below!
Friday, October 26th: Regular Junior Curling Begins (7-8:30pm)
2017-2018 League Championships
Another curling season has concluded with Highlander Curling Club teams competing for their respective League Championships. Pictured below are award winners for both Tuesday Night Ladies League and Thursday Night Mixed League.
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Curling Fun Day Event
A huge thank you to all those who came out to participate in the Curling Fun Day today! The numbers were well over our expectations so THANK YOU! And of course thank you to all of the volunteers who helped make it the success it was.
If you have any questions about renting the ice or participating in a league (either as a spare or regular member) please contact us via our Facebook page or website.
Below are a few pictures from a great day! We look forward to seeing all these new faces around the rink again soon!
Maritime Master Curling Championships
Congratulations to the Highlander Ladies team of Leona Williams, Joyce Van Berkel, Paulette Tate, along with Iris Stanley and alternate Liz MacEachern, who captured second place in the Maritime Master Curling Championships held this past weekend in New Glasgow at the Bluenose Curling Club. Along the way, the team scored wins against the New Brunswick Masters champions as well as the PEI Masters champions, and the NB runners-up. A fine finish to the curling season!!
Mad for Plaid
On February 10th, 2018 the Highlander Curling Club hosted their annual Mad for Plaid Ladies Bonspiel. The event included 12 teams who came dressed in their plaid for a great day of curling.
Finishers are as follows:
4th Place - Team Doiron (Highlander Curling Club)
3rd Place - Team Juurlink (Highlander Curling Club)
2nd Place - Team Buckingham (Bluenose Curling Club)
1st Place - Team Williams (Highlander Curling Club)
Congratulations to all who participated and special thanks to Colleen MacDougall and all those who helped with organizing the event!
Pictured below are the winning team with their plaid outfits and their winning jackets. The team consists of (from left to right) Skip: Leona Williams, Mate: Joyce vanBerkel, Second: Liz MacEachern and Lead: Paulette Tate.
Highlander Junior Curling
Members of the Highlander Junior Curling program, under the direction of Brian Nicholson, have been busy this season participating in many events. In October the Juniors participated in the Turning Points Curling Clinic to work on various curling skills and in January the Juniors hosted a Mixed Doubles Jamboree. Below are some pictures of these events. The future of curling in our club is looking pretty good :)
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Several Highlander Curling Club Junior members participated in the Strait Area Curling Club's Junior Jamboree on Sunday, January 28, 2018.
Pictured(from left to right): Andrew Huff, Simon Nicholson, Sanne Verkoeijen, Sam Lazurri, Joe Lazurri and Owen Cameron.
Alzheimer's Fundraising Bonspiel
Special thanks to all those who participated in any way in the Alzheimer's Fundraising Bonspiel that was held at the Highlander Curling Club on Saturday, December 30th. The 12 team bonspiel raised approximately $1100 for the Alzheimer's Unit at the R.K. MacDonald Guest House. A great day was had by all!
2017 Traveler's Curling Club Championships
Congratulations to Highlander member and ice maker Jason van Vonderen on a great showing at the Travelers Curling Championship in Kingston, Ontario! Jason and his team based out of the Bridgewater Curling Club represented Nova Scotia well with a 4-2 record in round robin play and a 5-3 loss to Alberta in the quarter final.
Andrea Heffernan, former St. Andrews resident and Highlander member, represented the St. John's Curling Club as Team Newfoundland & Labrador. Their team went 1-5.
Congratulations Jason & Andrea on your accomplishment! The Highlander is so proud of you!
(Pics: Jason is second from left, Andrea is third from left)
Special Thanks
The Highlander Curling Club would like to thank Owen McCarron and the Municipality of the County of Antigonish for a grant which enabled the club to purchase a significant amount of new equipment that will be available for those renting ice time at the club or for new curlers participating in league play.
March 18th - 22nd: Thunder Bay, Ontario
X-Women Competing at University Curling Championship
The team consists of: Therese McCurdy, Ashley Francis, Lauren MacFadyen, Emma Logan, fifth Sarah Snair and coach Carolyn Rose.
March 4th - 5th: Highlander Curling Club Cashspiel
Thank you to all who attended, and volunteered at, the Highlander Curling Club Cashspiel.
The Bluenose team (Picture 1 below) of Dave Clark, Taylor Clark, Gilda Chisholm, and Bailey Lonergan won the Highlander Cashspiel and the runner-up was the team (Picture 2 below) of Tyler Butler, Graeme Fraser, Brittany Wood, and Krista MacEachern from the Highlander.
